TBI – Survivors, Caregivers, Family, and Friends

Archive for November, 2017

It’s okay to lose hope sometimes. We will never be the same as before. You’ll get used to the “new you,” and you’ll be a tough, beautiful, brave individual who knows what it’s like to feel hopeless. And, that is what makes it all worth it – because you can give hope to others.

Tell other survivors that it’s okay to be the “new you” and to not necessarily meet the status quo or the goals they were striving for before their brain injury. Tell them to just make a new game-plan and to be exceedingly thankful for the little things they previously took for granted.

Erin Lieben – Brain Injury Survivor

When I present my story to others, my goal is for them to feel inspired. I don’t want pity, and I don’t want to bring others down. I’ve been given a gift, and I’ve worked like hell to be able to pass that on to others. There is always hope.

Cherish each passing moment as if it’s your last – because you know that it very well could be. It might sound crazy, but, when I’m at my lowest, that’s the time when I can lift others up. And, it lifts my spirit as well! My heart is with you all.

Thank you, Erin Lieben.

Disclaimer:
Any views and opinions of the Guest Blogger are purely his/her own.

If you would like your story to be published, please send a short account and two photos to me at neelyf@aol.com. I’d love to publish your story and raise awareness for Brain Injury.

Christine Durant (survivor)

Christine Durant – Brain Injury Survivor

I had brain surgery in 1983, during the second semester of my senior year of college. As a result, I came home with no degree. I was forced into a full-time job by my mother in addition to going to school full time. I received my first graduate degree a year later, adapting for differences all by myself. I had a great 30-year career and finished three more graduate degrees while working full time.

However, a car accident 20 years ago derailed my career. I couldn’t work because of pain-management issues. But that worked out. Apparently, the neurosurgeon hadn’t put things back together in an appropriate manner. So, I needed another brain surgery. It would have been hard to do if I were working full time. My wife and my friends saw me through it.

In April, I celebrated my “Sweet 16” – sixteen months post-op and seizure-free! My wife and I also celebrated 25 years in May. We travel a lot on the accident money. Life is good.

Emmy Award-winning and respected sports broadcaster Bob Costas, speaking as part of a panel at a symposium at the University of Maryland, stated that there are irreversible “cracks in the foundation” of the “juggernaut” and “cash machine” of American football that will eventually lead to a decrease in football’s stature.

He cited the work of Dr. Bennet Omalu, who found a degenerative brain disease in the brain of a deceased former Hall-of-Fame player of American football. He described the disease and named it chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). (Dr. Omalu’s story and the negative reaction of the National Football League are depicted in the movie “Concussion.” Will Smith plays Dr. Bennet Omalu.)

Dr. Bennet Omalu & Actor, Will Smith at opening of “Concussion”

The research at Boston University has shown that CTE is not uncommon in the autopsied brains of former players of American football. Their recent publication in the Journal of the American Medical Association has shown that CTE can be detected in the brains of not only professional football players, but also in the brains of college and high school players.

Costas said “The reality is that this game destroys people’s brains.” Concern is growing. Some players have retired early. Participation in youth tackle football leagues is declining, as parents struggle with the rapidly emerging and compelling evidence. Costas also said “… if I had an athletically gifted 12- or 13-year-old son, I would not let him play football.” Costas’ comments were supported by those of ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser, who said that football is going the way of boxing. (Full story – listen to Costas and Kornheiser in the second video – minutes 24:03-29:50.)